A vehicle shift control apparatus employing a so-called shift-by-wire (SBW) system is well known that detects an operational position in a shift operating device operated by a driver, for example, a lever position of a shift lever, with a sensor, etc., to electrically control switchover to a shift range of a transmission corresponding to the shift operation based on a position signal indicative of the detected lever position. Specifically, if the shift range determined based on the position signal from the sensor is within a traveling range, the vehicle shift control apparatus outputs a control signal an automatic transmission to perform the drive control of putting the automatic transmission into a vehicle traveling state corresponding to the traveling range, And if the determined shift rage is the parking range (P-range), the vehicle shift control apparatus outputs a control signal to a parking lock device that mechanically blocks the rotation of drive wheels to perform perking lock by actuating the parking lock device to mechanically block the rotation of the drive wheels. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a shift operation device of transmission employing the shift-by-wire system, which includes a so-called momentary-type shift lever having the state of the shift lever automatically returned after operation by a driver to an initial position that is the state before the operation.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-007993